continued..
About Hart and his Master:
Samuel Gilkes started his training at an early age with relative Charles Harris Sr. (Harris Sr., one of the best English makers of his time, London 1770-1830 and often alluded to either the "English Lupot" by Jalovec or the "English Amati' by W.Henley) and later (1810) worked for and trained further with William Forster III. Gilkes would later train John Hart. Gilkes also trained or trained with Charles Harris Jr. in the Harris shop. After Gilkes' untimely death, Harris Jr. went to work with Hart for awhile as well. W.E. Hill went to study Violin making with Charles Harris Jr. in 1835 after Harris Jrs' move to Oxford from London (1795-1828). Also, Olde Bird (Bird & Son) personally introduced Bow maker Samuel Allen to W.E. Hill. Bird was once in possession of this Bass as noted by his card on the lower Rib. He is also an indirect link between Hart, Hill, Gilkes and Harris as they are all connected to either this Bass or the Hart/Hill 'feud' in one way or another as the Harts and the Hills were in stiff competition with each other. The Harts were makers, restorers and dealers. John Hart was the best followed by his son George and Geo.II. Later, the Harts would turn to mainly dealing with John Hart employing his ‘half brother’ William Valentine who made most of the Hart Basses and some possibly for Fendt as well. Hart & Sons, the later firm also employed the Voller Bros. and others in and out of their shop for Violin making. The Harts became the main dealers and connoisseurs in London of Italian Violins in their time as seen in many books by the phrase 'according to Hart, etc'. This can be seen in many books especially those of English writers but as far as John Hart himself being a maker, his work has rarely been seen.
I will update this important page of English Violin/Bass history as things develop. For now, I am calling this Bass the individual work of young John Hart made just after his apprenticeship with Samuel Gilkes and not Bernhard Fendt Sr. as that's where the evidence is pointing. This Bass dates mainly before we see Basses individually from Lott Sr., Kennedy, William Gilkes (who trained with his father Samuel along with Hart) and even Bernard Simon Fendt as they all worked for other makers in the first part of their lives. It is reasonable to speculate that William Gilkes who was about 8-9 years old when John Hart began his apprenticeship may have worked with Hart after the death of his father. In 1827 when S.Gilkes died William was still only 16 years old. Hart having trained and worked with his father in the same shop for 7 1/2 years by then was possibly like an older brother of William. A Double Bass by William Gilkes that I know of c.1840 has some similar flavors to it when comparing it to this early work of Hart.
According to Thwaites of London, the work of John Hart, what little has been seen and confirmed ranks equally amongst the likes of Lott and Fendt and can stand along side the 'best' of the London Double Bass Makers. With the exception of this Bass here, most if not all of these other Hart Basses are more likely the work of William Valentine, his ‘half brother’.
NOTE: In the book 'History of the Violin' written in 1864 by William Sandys and Simon Andrew Forster (son of William III) both Samuel Gilkes and John Hart are included in the 'Family and School of William Forster' in chapter XXIII. This inclusion attested to by S.A. Forster, the last maker of this Family.
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